Outdoor Chattanooga News And Events

  • Wednesday, July 13, 2016
  • Ruth Thompson

Here are upcoming news and events from Outdoor Chattanooga:

Join Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and Outdoor Chattanooga for a free, leisurely paced, historical bike tour through Chickamauga Battlefield on Sat., July 16 at 9:30 a.m. The ride is on moderately-hilly terrain, lasts about 2 hours, with frequent stops as the Rangers talk about the history of the battlefield. The rides are appropriate for adults and children 8 and older when accompanied by an adult. All participants are required to wear helmets.

Bring your own bicycle or borrow a bicycle from Outdoor Chattanooga's mobile bicycle fleet at no charge, thanks to sponsorship from Friends of the Park, Friends of Outdoor Chattanooga and the Chattanooga Bicycle Club. Reservations for the bicycles are required and only available to riders 5' or taller. Contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at (706) 866-9241 for more information or to reserve a bicycle. Remaining Battlefield bicycle tours scheduled for 2016: Aug. 20, Sept. 17, and Oct. 15.  

Free Bicycling Skills Rodeo July 23
Wrangle up your bike and helmet and come ride with us on Sat., July 23 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Tennessee River Park - Shelter #3, 4301 Amnicola Hwy. This free bicycle skills rodeo will have multiple stations offering games and fun for all ages and skill levels. You'll learn safety skills such as proper helmet and bike fit, hand signals, rules of the road, and much more! Bring your bike, helmet, and close toed shoes. There will be a limited number of extra helmets and bikes on hand for the event. Come and go as you please. Enjoy lunch from Taqueria Jalisco Food Truck (for purchase). Learn how to ride a wheelie with Mike from Suck Creek Cycles. Hosted by: Safety Initiative for Bicyclists and Pedestrians, Electric Bike Specialists, Hamilton County Health Department, and Outdoor Chattanooga.  For more info click here or email Molly Boyd. 

Introduction to Mountain Biking: Skills Class July 26 and 29
Mountain biking is so much more than just riding your bike in the woods! Outdoor Chattanooga's Introduction to Mountain Biking Program offers formal instruction to those that are new to the sport, or who want to get more out of riding. We invite you to join one of the Skills Classes being offered on Tues., July 26 or Fri., July 29 from 6-8 p.m. at Greenway Farms. You'll receive instruction and skills demonstration from our experienced mountain bike staff while practicing newly learned skills and riding techniques in a controlled setting. Appropriate for ages 10-110. Cost is $10 per person per class. Registration and payment is required in advance. Call Outdoor Chattanooga at (423) 643-6888 to register and make payment. Loaner equipment is available if needed, but is limited. *Participants must already know how to confidently ride a bike for these classes. 

Pedal to Paddle ~ Bike to Canoe S. Chick Creek Trails July 28
 
Explore the South Chickamauga Creek Trails by pedaling a bike to paddle a canoe. Outdoor Chattanooga will provide all the equipment and lead a leisurely paced, guided bike tour on the S. Chick Creek Greenway Trail from TN River Park at Lost Mound Dr. to Sterchi Farms. Once the group arrives at Sterchi Farms, we'll get geared up and hop into canoes for a beginner friendly paddle on the S. Chick Creek Blueway trail to end up back where we started. This event is appropriate for ages 6 and up when accompanied by an adult. Ages 6-12 recommended to ride with 2 adults in a canoe. Cost: $20 per person / $10 for children 6-12. Price includes guides and all equipment including bikes, helmets + canoes, paddles and Personal Flotation Device's (Life jackets). (We have a limited number of kids bikes).  Registration and payment is required in advance. Call Outdoor Chattanooga at 423-643-6888 to find out more and to get registered!!
 
More Outdoor Chattanooga Events 

Community Events

Movies in the Park July 16, 23, 30
Pack up your chairs, blankets and picnic baskets. And get ready to watch a movie under the stars! Movies in the Park returns to Coolidge Park each Saturday in the month of July beginning July 9. We encourage you to gather your family and spend quality time together while watching a family-friendly box office hit on a giant movie screen. This event is FREE to the public. The movie will start each week at sundown (just after 9 p.m.). Concessions will also be available for purchase on site. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent. Click here for a list of all the dates and movies.

Kids for Clean Water Bass Tournament July 16
Support TenneSEA and Kids 4 Clean Water on Sat., July 16 at Chester Frost Park for their first annual Kids 4 Clean Water 2016 Bass Tournament.
Tournament Details:
From Safe Light to 3:00 p.m.
3 Fish Limit - Hourly big fish prize!
First Prize = $2,000 * Payouts for one in five places *50 boat minimum
Fishing contest and lessons for kids under 12.
Registration Details: 
$100 per boat - Bring Your Own Partner! 
REGISTER AT: Hamilton Sport Shop, Soddy Custom Tackle, Tri State Bait & Tackle, and Sportsman's Warehouse. 
Questions? Email Kids 4 Clean Water or call (423) 413-3298.

Full Moon SUP Paddle July 16
Waconda Bay SUP is offering a full moon paddle on Saturday, July 16 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Please call Jayne at 423-344-6501 with questions and to register.

Bike Chattanooga Turns 4 July 22
Before you head down to Nightfall stop in and help celebrate Bike Chattanooga's 4th Birthday. Come and enjoy a friendly game of corn hole, earn bragging rights during our slow roll contest, and take some fun pictures in the photo booth provided by Chattanooga Photo Booth Co. There will be giveaways, snacks, a blue and green themed sparkling punch, and cupcakes. 

Wilderness First Aid and CPR Course with Landmark Learning July 22-24
Get certified in Wilderness First Aid and CPR with Landmark Learning July 22-24 at Mulberry Gap Mountain Bike Getaway. Click here for course info, cost, directions and to purchase.

Mountain Biking in the Olympics and Chattanooga

Did you know that Mountain Biking is an Olympic sport? Twenty years after its Olympic debut in Atlanta in 1996, there are individual events for men and women in Rio 2016. Mountain biking challenges competitors with steep climbs, fast descents and large obstacles, while trying to be the first to the finish line. Spectators will enjoy the adventure and adrenaline of the race. The sport originated in California in the 1970's and has growing exponentially since those early days. The number of trails in Chattanooga has grown significantly in the past 10 years so we became inspired by Olympics and the athletes that will compete in 2016 to gather information about Chattanooga's mountain bike trails! We hope it inspires you to get out and ride or maybe even start training for the 2020 Olympic Games! 

Stringer's Ridge, located in North Chattanooga, offers 6 miles of multi-use trails, so you can get a quick ride in before or after work without having to travel outside the city limits. We like to ride it on our lunch break since it's only a couple miles from our building at Coolidge Park. There are several punchy climbs, which lead to fast descents. This isn't the most beginner friendly trail, but there is a pump track off Spears Ave. which is great for all skill levels to play on. Trail map.

TVA's Raccoon Mountain trail system is managed by SORBA and is a Chattanooga staple. With 30+ miles of singletrack trails, there's lots of riding to be done, but these trails definitely cater to seasoned riders. You'll find your fair share of rocks and roots, as well as massive climbs and descents, bridge crossings, boulders and switchbacks. We wouldn't recommend taking your first ride out there, but we sure do love how close it is to town and the views from East Overlook and Small Intestine are totally worth it!

Enterprise South Nature Park has 3 loops totaling 10 miles of fast flowy singletrack. These are good trail for beginners, especially Black Forest leading up to TNT, and it's easy to access off I-75 near Volkswagen. SORBA is in the process of building additional trails. 

White Oak Mountain, on Southern Adventist University's campus offers a variety of fun loops that require a little more climbing than Enterprise, but is still rated as beginner friendly. There are enough trails to keep all skill levels happy including some advanced trails on top of the ridge and Cottontail trail offers built features to test the more experienced rider. 

Bauxite Ridge is a new, very beginner friendly trail in Collegedale near White Oak Mountain. It offers about 10 miles of fast flowy singletrack, with little elevation change. There's not much information on the web about Bauxite yet, it's that new! All we can really tell you is it is a lot of fun to ride.

Booker T Washington State Park has 3 loops that make up the 7 miles of dedicated mountain bike trails, thanks to SORBA and lots of volunteer hours. The trails are good for beginner to intermediate riders, but should be avoided in the summer months due to overgrowth and poison ivy. Keep an eye out for trail runners and hikers as they are multi-use trails.

Harrison Bay State Park has a 4.5 mile trail loop that is kid and beginner friendly. There's plenty of other activities to be done at the park, so if you make the drive out there, you might as well make a day of it exploring the park. 

Five Points, is a project that resulted from a partnership between SORBA, Lula Lake Land Trust and Cloudland Canyon State Park. The 20+ miles of purpose built trails opened in 2011. The Cloudland Connector trail is multi-use including hikers and horses. There's definitely something for everyone out there including fast flowy and technical trails. 

Tanasi trails at the Ocoee Whitewater Center attract cyclists from across the region, and is home to the annual Black Bear Rampage hosted by Scott's Bicycles in Cleveland, TN along with several other races. With 30+ miles of trails, ranging from beginner friendly to advanced, you can enjoy a day in the mountains, then cool off in the Ocoee River post ride. 

Chilhowee Recreation Area was the place to ride before mountain biking became, well, an Olympic Sport! 20+ miles of trails that don't see mountain bike traffic that often since there are so many other more notable trail systems in the area. We still consider it a great place to spend a day riding. If you start at the Clemmer trailhead, you'll have a 4.5 mile climb to access the trails on the top and avoid the parking fee. Or park at the top of the mountain and pay the $3 day use fee to avoid the climb. Beginner to advanced trails can be found here. 

Upcoming Events:

July
14        Rock Creek-BIC SUP Demo Day
           City Sweat: Soak up the Run
           Cohutta Backcountry Tour-Bikepacking 101
15        Beautiful Bats
16        Chickamauga Battlefield Bicycle Tour
           Kids 4 Clean Water: Bass Tournament
           Chattanooga Heroes Run
           Movies in the Park
18        Street Cycling 101
18-21   Adventure Day Camp
           Intro to SUP
21        Summer Sike Movie Series
23        Movies in the Park
           Free Cycling Skills Rodeo
26        Intro to Mountain Bike Skills Class
28        Pedal and Paddle S. Chick Creek Trails
29        Intro to Mountain Bike Skills Class
30        Adventure Canoe: S. Chickamauga Creek
           Movies in the Park
           Find Your Park: Hike, Bike, Paddle & Play at Moccasin Bend
30-31   Scenic City Outdoor Expo
           Moccasin Bend Festival
           Open Gate Days at Lula Lake
31        Family Fun: Archery and Canoeing at Greenway Farm

August
2         Intro to SUP
4-6      St. Jude Children's Hospital Rodeo
9         Food Preservation Class
          Intro to SUP
13       Adventure Canoe: S. Chickamauga Creek
16       Intro to SUP
19       Boomers Together: Adventure & Retreat Camp
20       Chickamauga Battlefield Bicycle Tour
          Scenic City Mud Run
23       Intro to Mountain Bike Skills Class
          Intro to SUP

September
11        Black Bear Rampage Mountain Bike Race
11-17   Bicycle Ride Across Tennessee
17       Chickstock
24       Wild Chattanooga-Nature at Night

October
6        Fireside: Lou Wamp
8        Chattanooga Head Race
13      Fireside: Caney Creek
20      Fireside: Tin Cup Rattlers
22      Make-A-Wish Trailblaze Challenge
27      Fireside: Spooky Nooga

November
5-6     Head of the Hooch
12      Pangorge


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